Guitar Hero 5 launches with marathon record attempt

Activision is attempting a world record for the launch of Guitar Hero 5 across Europe today. A 24-hour continuous party play marathon is taking place as we speak in France, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Holland and at HMV Oxford Street in the UK with the challenge to get through as many different participants as possible.

British pop artist, Pixie Lott was down there among the regular punters pulling her rock face alongside some other pretty intense looks of concentration in the gallery below. If you're out and about in London today, you might also see the Guitar Hero Brit Bus - the black-painted, converted doubledecker kitted out with a full set of instruments for the public to get on board and have a go with. There's also refreshments available although not a very rock and roll looking rider when Pocket-lint was there.

The marathon is designed to show off the latest editions Party Play mode which allows gamers to jump in and out, pause and change difficulty during a track without having to halt the session for the whole band. No one from Activision was available to comment on the latest game battle of the war between Rock Band and Guitar Hero but the fact that HMV had branded the outside of its shop in the Harmonix Beatles can't have gone down too well with today's guests.

The record attempt will continue from 11am today until the store closes at 7pm and for one more hour form opening time at 10am tomorrow - so long as the cleaner doesn't switch the console off tonight, that is.

Dan's love affair with tech began in 1985 with his first computer, the Enterprise 128. After a psychology and zoology degree at university, a career on stage and screen he joined Pocket-lint in 2009. Dan has now moved on to pastures new.